Marian devotion
← Back to China's Marian Advocations
In the historic centre of Jiaojiang, within the ancient Catholic ensemble of Haimen, a unique Marian hill dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. It is not a large mountain apart, but a small urban sanctuary: a high, wooded space, along the cross road, where the religious and faithful of Taizhou have prayed for more than a century.
Advocation: Our Lady of Lourdes.
Local name: In this case, the Commission has not yet made any progress in the implementation of this Regulation.
Place: ancient convent of the Sisters of Charity, next to the Catholic group of Haimen, Jiaojiang district, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China.
Jurisdiction: Catholic diocesis of Taizhou, historically called diocesis of Lineai.
Documented primer temple: 1913.
Devotional elements: image of Our Lady of Lourdes, images of the Sacred Heart and of St. Joseph, and fourteen stations of the path of the crucis.
Restoration: 2000, after the destruction suffered during the Cultural Revolution.
Traditional months of pilgrimage: May and October.
Documented contemporary celebration: diocesan pilgrimage around May 24, memory of Mary Helper and Day of Prayer for the Church in China.
A hill of prayer inside the city
The Catholic history of Zhejiang places the hill within the ancient convent of the Sisters of Charityin the female half of the Haimen Church. The sources describe it as a place of prayer and pilgrimage for both religious and other faithful. Its urban character made it exceptional among Chinese Marian shrines: from its height could be seen the then small port city of Haimen, now integrated in Taizhou.
The main church of the whole, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was built in 1894. The compound was historically divided into a male section north of the street and a female section south, where the convent and its dependencies were. This relationship explains that the Marian hill is part of the life of the cathedral complex without being confused with the apvocation of the cathedral.
The Marian Temple of 1913
En 1913 a temple was raised on the top to house the image of the Virgin. Catholic documentation identifies the image as Our Lady of Lourdes: Mary appears in a praying attitude, evoking the apparitions of 1858 to Saint Bernardite Soubirous and the evangelical call to conversion, penance and trust in God.
Later, the first Chinese bishop of Taizhou, José Hu RuoshanHe enriched the spiritual itinerary with images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of St. Joseph, in addition to the fourteen seasons of the cross-way. Thus, the rise was not reduced to the contemplation of an image, but he joined the company of Mary in the path of the Passion of Christ.
The local tradition about the origin of the pilgrimage
Zhejiang's Catholic memory retains two stories linked to the beginning of devotion. According to this tradition, a Haiman faithful named Jiang Liguang and a sick relative of the priest Lin Jiefu had sought the intercession of the Virgin of Sheshan. Both of them were internally oriented to pray on the small hill of Haimen and, after doing so, received the grace they asked for. An ancient inscription of thanks for the recovery of a sick person would have contributed to extending the pilgrimage.
A sanctuary abierto a peregrinos
The hill attracted faithful from different areas of Zhejiang and other provinces. May, a month dedicated especially to the Virgin, and October, a month of the rosary, were the periods of greatest influx. The traditional form of the pilgrimage included the paused prayer of the cross-way during the rise and celebration of the Eucharist in the open air before the image of Our Lady.
This itinerary expresses a deeply christocentric spirituality: the pilgrims walk with Mary behind Jesus, meditate on their Passion and reach the summit to offer thanksgiving and present their needs.
Destruction and restoration
During the Cultural Revolution, the Marian hill and its religious elements were destroyed. The material interruption was added to the closure of churches and communities that affected the entire diocese. However, the memory of the sanctuary remained among the local Catholics.
In the year 2000 The diocesan community restored the hill. The roads were widened, the temple was recovered and new petreous sculptures of St. Joseph, the Sacred Heart and the stations of the crucis were installed. On 7 October of that year, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, the diocese solemnly celebrated the conclusion of the works. The date of reopening does not change the advocation of the main image, which the sources describe as Our Lady of Lourdes.
The pilgrimage continues
The validity of the place does not belong only to the past. The 25 May 2024the diocese of Taizhou gathered there priests, religious and faithful for their Marian pilgrimage. Pilgrims from Ningbo and Wenzhou also participated. After a procession to the hill the Eucharist was celebrated on the occasion of the memory of Mary Auxiliary and of the Day of Prayer for the Church in China, established by Benedict XVI for May 24.
The contemporary celebration shows how the same sanctuary can guard the historical image of Lourdes and at the same time welcome the ecclesial prayer of Mary Auxiliary on that date. These are complementary devotional references, but they should not be confused as if the original title of the temple had changed.
Location and accuracy of the map
The sanctuary is located in the historic Catholic ensemble of Haimen, around numbers 1 and 2 of Ximen RoadJiaojiang. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart occupies the northern part; the fountains expressly place the hill in the ancient converse of the Sisters of Charity, to the south.
The marker on this map points to the small wooded elevation of the southern sector identifiable in the aerial mapping, in 28.67763, 121.44255 (WGS-84). It must be understood with precision of the enclosure: international cartographic platforms do not separately catalogue the temple and the interior access may have varied with the restorations. The point has not been moved to the cathedral, because both spaces have different identity and advocation.
Spirituality of Our Lady of Lourdes of Jiaojiang
Jiaojiang recalls that a pilgrimage does not depend on distance or physical height. Also in the heart of a city there may be an inner rise. Each season of the road invites us to give suffering to Christ; Mary's presence teaches us to stand by the cross and wait for the resurrection.
The reconstruction of the year 2000 adds another message: faith can go through silence, keep its memory grateful and reoffer a place of comfort to the following generations.
Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes of Jiaojiang
Mary Immaculate, Lady of Lourdes, who you welcome the prayer of your children on the hill of Jiaojiang, walk us along the way of the cross and teach us to remain faithful with Jesus. It comforts the sick, supports their families and guards the Church of Taizhou. Make our cities places of meeting, mercy and peace, and bring all our pleas to your Son's heart. Amen.
Sources consulted
- History of the Catholic Church in Zhejiang: Converse location, tradition, construction of 1913 and restoration.
- Xinde: panorama of Marian shrines, Lourdes headline and pilgrimage practice.
- Xinde: diocesan pilgrimage held in Jiaojiang in May 2024.
- Official Chronicle of the City of Taizhou: graphic documentation of the Marian Catholic Templet.
- GCatholic: Cathedral and direction of the Catholic group of Jiaojiang.
- Architectural description and historical distribution of the male and female sections.
Is the advocation of the Virgin Mary of your people missing?
Si no encuentras la advocación mariana de tu ciudad o pueblo, cuéntanosla: la investigaremos para ubicarla y darla a conocer en este mapa del amor de la Madre por el mundo.
Propose an apvocation →